When can I retire?
Guide · By Kevin Lan · Updated September 2026
The answer is the year your invested assets grow to your FIRE number. Here's how to find it, and count down to it.
The two numbers that decide it
Two things set your retirement date. The first is your FIRE number, the amount you need invested (annual expenses ÷ safe withdrawal rate). The second is how fast your investments grow toward it (your current investments, what you add each year, and your expected real return). You can retire in the first year your growing investments reach your FIRE number.
How the calculator finds the year
It projects your portfolio forward, growing it each year by your real return and adding your contributions, and finds the first year the balance meets your FIRE number. Change any input and the date moves live. Example: at 32 with $50,000 invested, $24,000/year added, $50,000 of spending, a 7% real return and a 4% withdrawal rate, financial independence lands around age 52 (20 years and 8 months out).
The calculator also draws this as a chart. Your FIRE number of $1,250,000 is a flat line across it. Your balance starts at $50,000 and curves upward, slowly at first because contributions do most of the work, then faster as returns on earlier returns take over. The curve meets the line at the date you reach financial independence, which the chart flags with the month.
The levers that move your date
Four inputs decide when you arrive, and they don't pull equally hard:
- Spending works on both ends. Cutting expenses works twice: it lowers the FIRE number you're aiming for and, if you invest the difference, raises your savings. A dollar less spent is worth more than a dollar more earned.
- Contributions. How much you add each year is the direct throttle. Together with spending it sets your savings rate, the lever most people control best.
- Expected return. A higher real return pulls the date sooner, but it's the input you control least, so don't plan on optimism.
- Starting balance. What you already have compounds the longest, so early investing carries outsized weight.
The calculator shows the effect of each instantly, so you can see which lever buys you the most time.
A live countdown to your date
The iPhone app turns that date into a home-screen widget that counts down and updates every time you revise your investments, so your target stays in view between planning sessions.
References
- Bengen WP. Determining withdrawal rates using historical data. Journal of Financial Planning. 1994;7(4):171–180. The paper that introduced the 4% withdrawal guideline.
- Damodaran A. Historical annual returns on U.S. stocks, bonds and bills (1928–present). NYU Stern School of Business. pages.stern.nyu.edu/~adamodar
- Investopedia. Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE): a definition. investopedia.com
FIRE calculator
It runs in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere.
No account, no ads, and we never see your numbers.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate when I can retire?
Find your FIRE number (annual expenses ÷ safe withdrawal rate), then project your investments forward with your yearly contributions and expected real return until the balance reaches that number. The year it does is your earliest retirement date.
How much do I need to retire early?
It's your FIRE number, typically about 25× your annual expenses at a 4% withdrawal rate. Spend $50,000 a year and you need roughly $1,250,000.
Can I retire earlier by saving more?
Yes. Higher contributions and a higher return both pull the date sooner; lower expenses reduce the target itself. The calculator shows the effect of each instantly.
